"Everything is summed up in the phrase 'VOGUE is VOGUE.' From the very beginning, Nikkei Condé Nast has had a VOGUE code: to forge our own path without comparing ourselves to other magazines." This is a shared understanding and a strong sense of pride for each Vogue in each country, says current president Jun Kitada, who was the third employee at the company's founding. This was also the reason it took two years to launch.
What set Vogue apart from other companies' methods was its coverage of the New York, Milan, and Paris Fashion Weeks. Prior to Vogue, newspapers assigned one reporter to each magazine, and even fashion magazines often had a two-person team consisting of an editor-in-chief and a fashion director. Some editorial departments assigned one person from the editorial department to cover the events, while others delegated it to a local correspondent. Others were handled by freelance journalists or stylists who traveled to each location individually. However, Vogue's editorial department sends six or seven editorial staff members, including the editor-in-chief, to each location. One magazine requested three to four times as many show tickets as other companies, leaving brand PR people with headaches over seating.
There was a good reason why Vogue editorial staff flocked to the event. Editors from Vogue around the world gather for the collection and exchange information about photographers, stylists, hair & makeup artists, models, and more. Photographers visit the show venue to capture the mood of the new collection. After the collection ends, an editorial meeting is held on-site to create a fashion theme for the half year and begin staffing. Key looks from the collection are kept (reserved for loan) as a No. 1 priority, and preparations for the shoot begin. This is because Vogue's lifeline is to present to readers fashion that conveys the spirit of the times faster than anyone else through beautiful visuals.
The movie "The Devil Wears Prada," said to be based on Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of American Vogue, may be a bit over the top, but it does address the issues of editorial staff's looks and the monopoly of photographers. It even assigns the same theme to multiple photographers, pitting them against each other, and then kills (rejects) the one that isn't selected. The editor-in-chief and key editorial staff are prohibited from sitting anywhere other than the front row (the very front row of the show). There are countless detailed rules.
What further surprised the industry was the advertising fees. Vogue charges 1.5 to 2 times the fees of other magazines, with no discounts whatsoever. Advertising managers at each magazine were terrified to see which brands would meet the requirements. Chanel's rule for newly launched magazines is to refrain from advertising for a year to see how things go, but in an extremely unusual move, they placed an ad for their watch and jewelry division.
Vogue Nippon completely overturned the very foundations of fashion magazines in Japan. Editors-in-chiefs were expected to produce a good magazine, and they were also now required to have sales acumen. One of the purposes of traveling to Milan and Paris Fashion Week was to have a friendly dinner with the CEO of the headquarters and get the latest information on the next season's advertising plans and event schedules, and a fierce information war unfolded during the collection period. After the show, editors-in-chiefs could be seen rushing backstage to hug designers and congratulate them on their success. None of this was something that had ever happened before Vogue.
Continued on 4/12
